Corazon
|regional_languages = |languages_type = |languages = |ethnic_groups = 84% 15% 1% other |ethnic_groups_year = |demonym = Corazonan |government_type = Unitary presidential constitutional republic |leader_title1 = President |leader_name1 = Andrés Lucio Juárez |leader_title2 = Speaker of the National Assembly |leader_name2 = Silvia Tristán Aberquero |leader_title3 = Legislature |leader_name3 = Corazon National Assembly |leader_title6 = |leader_name6 = |sovereignty_type = Independence from |sovereignty_note = |established_event1 = Recognized ''' |established_date1 = July 6, 1913 |established_event2 = |established_date2 = |established_event3 = '''Current constitution |established_date3 = January 1, 1996 |established_event9 = |established_date9 = |area_rank = |area_magnitude = |area = |area_km2 = |area_sq_mi = |area_footnote = |percent_water = |area_label = |area_label2 = |area_dabodyalign = |population_estimate = 12.452,000 |population_estimate_rank = |population_estimate_year = |population_census = |population_census_year = 2015 |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_density_rank = |GDP_PPP = $39 billion |GDP_PPP_rank = |GDP_PPP_year = |GDP_PPP_per_capita = $10,587 |GDP_PPP_per_capita_rank = |GDP_nominal = |GDP_nominal_rank = |GDP_nominal_year = |GDP_nominal_per_capita = |GDP_nominal_per_capita_rank = |Gini = 58 |Gini_rank = |Gini_year = |Gini_category = |HDI =0.765 |HDI_rank = |HDI_year = |HDI_category = |currency = Corazon peso ($) (CZP) ($) (USD) |currency_code = |time_zone = UTC -6 |utc_offset = |time_zone_DST = |date_format = yyyy-mm-dd |DST_note = |utc_offset_DST = |drives_on = right |cctld = .cr |aircraft_code = |vehicle_reg = |calling_code = |image_map3 = |alt_map3 = |footnotes = |footnote1 = |footnote2 = |footnote7 = }} Corazon (Spanish: Corazón), officially the Republic of Corazon (Spanish: República de Corazón), is an island country situated in the . While geographically part of North America, it is typically considered culturally and linguistically part of Latin and Central America. It's capital and largest city is Sagrado, home to 1.5 million of the country's 12 million inhabitants. It is a presidential republic. Andrés Lucio Juárez has been the country's head of state and head of government since 2013. Previously inhabited by indigenous peoples, Corazon was colonized by during the 16th century and it quickly became an important node for trade. It remained part of Spain until it was ceded to the after the . It was granted independence in 1913 and a relatively stable republic was quickly established. Between the 1960s and 1980s, economic hardship, social inequality, and corruption coupled with the rise of communist and other left-wing movements led to political instability similar to what its neighbors in Central America experienced. It culminated into a short but intense armed conflict referred to as the Corozonan Civil War. A tenuous agreement between the government and militant forces has kept the peace since the war's end. In the years following the conflict, Corazon has developed a middle-economy based largely on tourism but numerous issues still affect the country including poverty, poor infrastructure, and access to education. The role of the United States in both the country's foreign policy and society as a whole remains a contentious matter. Etymology "Corazon" literally means "heart" in Spanish, referring to the Sacred Heart of Jesus for which the Spanish explorers named the country after. History Spanish rule (1513-1913) Early Corazonan history begins with the arrival of the Spanish in 1513 and it instantly became an important point for trade. The city of Sagrado became the country's economic center as hundreds of ships sailed to and departed from it's harbors. Catholicism was introduced to the island and quickly became the predominant religion. As in other Spanish colonies, the indigenous population of Corazon began to drastically fall due to disease introduced by the European explorers. Even as most of its North American colonies eventually attained independence, Corazon remained part of the Spanish colonial empire for almost 400 years until it was ceded to the United States in 1898, along with Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines in the aftermath of the Spanish American-War. U.S. rule (1898-1913) American administration of Corazon lasted 15 years. During this time, a Corazonan sense of national identity began to take shape. Independence movements arose, calling for unilateral secession from the United States. President monitored these movements but was intent on keeping Corazon within the U.S., and perhaps make it a state. However, internal conflict within the Republican Party and a subsequent schism with divided Roosevelt's attention. Meanwhile, several violent incidents between Corazonan citizens and American officials occurred, threatening to devolve into an open armed rebellion. Initially, these incidents only strengthened Roosevelt's resolve to keep Corazon tightly under US control, but eventually he was persuaded that it would be easier to concede Corazonan independence and exert control through a pro-American government than it would be to fight another war in the Caribbean. Independence from the United States The first elections were held in the country and a new constitution was adopted in Corazon, which established a presidential republic and a unicameral legislature. Domingo Curro Benitez became Corazon's first president after being elected in early 1913. His platform was pro-independence but emphasized a moderate apporach. The American-Corazonan treaty was signed in 1913 by Curro's government which granted Corazon full independence from the United States. While pro-independence, Curro's government was very US-friendly which proved useful for Roosevelt. He found it easy to exert the US' will on Corozonan matters while respecting the country's ostensible independence. These friendly relations with the United States would continue until the 1960s. Mid-20th century (1930-1960) After independence, the Corazonan government became plagued with corruption. Corazon received considerable amounts of financial aid which was intended for public works but instead went to political elites and their corporate friends. The presence and apparent domination of US-based companies in the Corazonan economy also contributed to public dissatisfaction. A growing gap between the nation's wealthiest and poorest created political tension, some of which was released in the election of the Party of the Corazonan Worker (Spanish: Partido de los Trabajadores Corazonan) (PTC) in 1933. The PTC, headed by Sabas Melchor García, was a social democratic party that promised sweeping reforms to government and to shrink the economic gap. A package of worker protection laws were passed which included expanded union rights and a minimum wage. The PTC also sought to reign in the power of not only US corporations, but Corazonan as well. This was challenged by nationalist parts of the National Assembly, who argued that domestically-based companies contributed to the nation's economy and ought to be supported whereas American companies only existed to serve US interests. Headbutting between the social democratic and nationalist sides became a mainstay of Corazonan politics. PTC also moved Corazon's foreign policy away from solely supporting the United States and focused its attention elsewhere. It opened up relations with the Soviet Union and other Warsaw Pact nations, arousing American suspicion. The economy under the PTC grew much larger than it ever had been under Spanish or American control. Wages and productivity increased and the country's standard of living rose to rival Mexico's. In Cuba, 's pro-US government was overthrown and replaced by 's communist regime, which spurred the US to keep a close eye on Corazon to ensure the same did not happen there. While general public opinion in Corazon had shifted generally left-wing economcially, most did not support Castro's government. The PTC emphasized its moderate-left-wing position, assuring the US it would not allow the country to fall into communist hands. By the 1960s, the PTC's progress was stagnating and its popularity declined. This gave way to the victory of the nationalist United People Party (Spanish: Partido Pueblo Unido) (PPU) led by President Donato Nazario Travieso. The PPU was a center-right to right wing party elected on a platform of opening up economic opportunities to Corazon by offering tax incentives to Corazonan companies that did most of their business within the country. Like the PTC, it continued a policy of aversion to American companies. Deregulation initiatives were undertaken with the goal of increasing the ease of doing business, such as making it easier for employers to hire. An initiative to crackdown on police corruption was also enacted. The PPU took a hard stance against far-left movements and condemned them for attempting to destabilize the country. Its foreign policy more or less matched that of the PTC's, except it took a slightly more friendly approach to the U.S. while keeping its distance from both it and the Soviet Union. Civil war (1979-1981) Main article: Corazonan Civil War The successes of the PPU's economic policies began to wane and some argue that they contributed to the return of economic inequality and corruption, which had been a problem for most of the country's history. Corruption was thrust to the front of national attention as a result of several high-profile scandals involving PPU politicians receiving political contributions in exchange for subsidies, tax breaks, and positions in government. In the U.S., President Richard Nixon launched a war on drugs which transformed Corazon into a borderline-narco state, with hundreds of thousands of kilos of cocaine, marijuana, and other narcotics being smuggled in and out of the country. Crime skyrocketed and police corruption was rampant. Far-left movements, which had been largely disorganized and fractured, began to unite in opposition to the PPU government. The Soviet Union allegedly provided funds to support a communist revolution in Corazon. In 1979, a treaty was proposed by President Nazario which would relax restrictions on activities of US companies and allow extradition of suspected drug smugglers back to the US. This treaty divided the PPU, with some still adamantly opposed to US involvement in the Corazonan economy and legal affairs while others favoring the potential economic growth the treaty could provide. Large protests were staged in opposition by left-wing activists to the treaty and President Nazario's administration in general. These protests were brutally suppressed which escalated tensions. The Corazon Liberation Army (Spanish: Ejército de Liberación de corazon) (ELC) was created and an armed rebellion formed and grew into a full-out civil war. The conflict was brief, only lasting two years. It a became three-way war with the introduction of the Gulf Brothers (Spanish: Los hermanos del Golfo) cartel which was opposed to the extradition clause in the proposed treaty. The war ended after an agreement was signed by the ELC and the PPU in 1981 which has kept an uneasy peace since then with some minor skirmishes. The ELC became a political party, renamed the Corazon Liberation Party (Spanish: Partido de la Liberación corazon) (PLC), which has seen some small victories in the National Assembly. A revised version of the treaty with the US, which omits extradition, was signed in 1982 but was not ratified by both countries until 1986. Post-war (1982-1996) The PTC won the first election since the war ended with the PLC gaining a small minority. Aarón Baudelio Salcedo became president in 1984 and focused on rebuilding the country's devastated economy while curtailing rampant crime and corruption. Transparency measures were passed to give the public a sense of confidence when observing government procedures. A tax increase was passed in order to fund an effort to repair Corazon's education system. Baudelio distanced Corazon from the United States by improving its relations with the Soviet Union. Modern era (1996-present) The 21st century in Corazon has been defined by a national attitude of revitalization and rebuilding. Drug violence, while still a concern, has decreased due to, in part, efforts by police and the end of the cocaine epidemic of the 80s. The Corazon economy has reshifted to tourism while fruit exports contribute a significant amount. Following the fall of the Soviet Union, Corazon has aspired to chart its own destiny, free of influence from global superpowers. Its relations with the United States remain complex and complicated and something of a divide over the issue exists in Corazonan politics. The extent the US should be allowed to influence Corazon society, if at all, is a common subject of debate. Other issues that affect Corazon include quality of healthcare, access to education, poverty, inequality, infrastructure, and maintaining the uneasy peace between the PLC and the government. Measures to invite foreign investment have been proposed and banking reform supporters have sought to relax restrictions on foreigners attempting to open accounts in Corazon. Government Corazon is a unitary presidential constitutional republic in which the President is the head of state and head of government as defined in the 1996 constitution, which is similar to the original 1913 constitution. Executive Main article: President of Corazon The executive consists of the President, who is elected every four years by direct popular vote. There are no limits on consecutive terms. The president has the power to approve or veto bills that pass the National Assembly. Beyond this, the president's authority is rather limited but the office still commands a large amount of influence and respect especially within the legislature. The current president is Andrés Lucio Juárez of the PTC, elected in 2013. Legislature Main article: National Assembly of Corazon Legislative authority is vested in the unicameral National Assembly which consists of 56 representatives directly elected every two years. The National Assembly elects the Speaker who presides over sessions and often sets their party's legislative agenda. The current speaker is Silvia Tristán Aberquero, elected in 2011 and the first woman to hold the office. Judicial Main article: Supreme Court of Corazon The judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court of Corazon, which has ultimate authority over all other courts in Corazon. Its primary function is to check and review the constitutionality of all laws passed by the National Assembly and signed by the President. Seven judges preside over the Supreme Court which are nominated by the President and approved in the National Assembly by a supermajority vote. Foreign relations and military Corazon maintains relations with most countries in the world. Economy Primary sectors Geography Climate Culture Religion Cuisine